The Tell-Tale Heart Unit Quiz 2024

"TRUE!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever" (Poe 1).

Based on the excerpt, how reliable is the narrator?

• The narrator is reliable because he explains that he is not mad, just logically trying to solve a problem.

• The narrator is unreliable because he has a disease, and his actions are motivated by this disease not logic.

• The narrator is unreliable, claiming he is not mad when his actions clearly indicate that he cannot be trusted.

• The narrator is somewhat reliable because he is aware of his own instability and solves a problem with a logical solution.

"Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution— with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him" (Poe 1).

What does the repetition of the phrase "with what" reveal about the narrator? Read the excerpt from "The Tell-Tale Heart." Then, answer the question.

• It emphasizes that the narrator took care in committing his crime.

• It emphasizes that the narrator hesitated in completing the murder.

• It emphasizes that the narrator is mad and cannot think or speak clearly.

• It emphasizes that the narrator feels guilty about the action he is about to take.

"I smiled,—for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search—search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.

The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct:—it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness—until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears" (Poe 5).

Which statement best provides an objective summary of the excerpt?

• The police arrive, and the narrator fails to convince them that he did not commit a crime. Their suspicions are confirmed when all present hear a heartbeat under the floor.

• The police arrive, and the narrator convinces them that no crime has been committed. As soon as the police officers leave, the narrator panics when he hears a heartbeat under the floor.

• The police arrive, and the narrator convinces them that there is nothing to investigate. However, the narrator himself begins to hear noises, and he is unsure if it is in his mind or audible in the room.

• The police arrive, and the narrator attempts to convince them that there is nothing to investigate. However, the police are unconvinced when all in the room begin to hear mysterious noises under the floorboards.

"If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.

I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye—not even his—could have detected anything wrong. There was nothing to wash out—no stain of any kind—no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all—ha! ha!"

What is the meaning of the word concealment as it is used in the text?

• burial

• camouflage

• dismembered

• hiding

How does Poe's choice of telling the story from the point of view of an unreliable narrator create suspense?

• It keeps the reader guessing about whether he will be able to appear sane enough to convince the police of his innocence.

• It keeps the reader unsure about the events in the eight days leading to the murder.

• It prompts the reader to question everything the narrator says, including his explanation of why he thinks he is crazy.

• It keeps the reader on edge by focusing on the murder of the old man and the police investigation.

In "The Tell-Tale Heart," what does the sound of the beating heart symbolize?

• The passage of time

• The old man's last breaths

• The narrator's guilt and fear

• The policemen mocking the murderer

What is the central theme of "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

• Guilt leads to self-destruction

• Humans are instinctively violent

• Police never seek the truth, only enforce the law

• Love taken to extremes can become dangerous

What is the central idea of "The Allegory of the Cave"?

• Men who allow their experience to be shaped by perceptions and shadows do not know a better life

• A man must return to share the news of enlightenment with others who will not necessarily accept his good news

• Most men live chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall and trying to guess the nature of objects reflected by a fire

• A man freed from a cave comes to understand that the shadows are not reality; rather, he understands reality by his experience

9. What character traits are exhibited by the shackled prisoners that stayed in the cave?

• Curiosity and bravery

• Ignorance and fear

• Intelligence and wisdom

• Kindness and generosity

In the context of "The Allegory of the Cave," what does the word "enlightenment" mean? Mark only one oval.

• A state of being intellectually or spiritually awakened.

• A physical source of light.

• A feeling of confusion or uncertainty.

• A state of being ignorant.